


You Can’t Save Everyone (But You Can Try)

by Ironlawyer



Series: Tainted Lovers [3]
Category: The Avengers (2012), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Relationships, M/M, Protective Steve, outsider pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 22:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2166744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ironlawyer/pseuds/Ironlawyer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve watches.  He doesn’t like what he sees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Can’t Save Everyone (But You Can Try)

**Author's Note:**

> So, two years later. I’m sorry it took so long. I really wanted to write something, I just... couldn't. I hope it's worth the wait. Fingers crossed it won't be another two years before I write something else - though not for this, this should be the last part.
> 
> Oh, and there's a tiny touch of victim blaming here. Steve doesn’t really blame Tony, but he doesn’t understand so there's a passing thought that's insensitive, though he never vocalises it.

Everyone thinks he’s stupid. They think because he doesn’t get their pop culture references and sometimes forgets which way to hold his phone, he must be stupid. He thinks it’s a bit like how people talk to blind men like they’re deaf and deaf men like they’re dumb. At first, he thinks Tony must think he’s stupid too.

Tony’s careful around Natasha and Clint. Every move is calculated, he can see it in Tony’s eyes when they’re around, he’s constantly analysing every words he’ll say and every move he’ll make. Steve catches him limping when he’s been hiding it from Clint. Steve sees the bruises he carefully covers from Natasha. He thinks that Tony must think he’s too stupid to see whatever he’s trying to hide from them.

He doesn’t understand at first. He just knows something’s not right. Tony seems to get progressively more subdued and withdrawn. It’s a subtle change, one he perhaps wouldn’t notice if he hadn’t seen similar things in so many troops having trouble coping back in the day. Perhaps he never would’ve noticed if Tony didn’t hide it so well around Clint and Natasha that the contrast when they aren’t around is clearer.

He says nothing for a while. He doesn’t know what’s wrong and he knows enough about Tony by now to realise that wading into the man’s business without having all the information is probably a very bad idea. Instead, he watches. He asks Tony to spar more often now, because he can watch how he moves. Tony can’t hide the way he favours one arm or flinches when his ribs are pulled. He sits opposite Tony at mission briefs and when they all eat together, so he has an excuse to watch him.

He starts to notice a pattern. Tony seems more anxious when Bruce is around and more withdrawn when he’s not.

At first he thinks it must be worry. Tony gets hurt in combat or training or the lab and he doesn’t want Bruce to worry so he hides it. But that doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t make sense. He’s seen Tony wear battle scars like points of pride. He’s moaned about his sore ribs after missions gone bad. He’s had deep, painful bruises he tries to hide when they haven’t had a battle in weeks.

Then one day it clicks. He gets back from his morning run early because it starts to rain. He overhears them arguing. Tony and Bruce never argue. Everything just falls into place. He feels awful about it, because he knows if Tony were a woman, he would’ve realised so much sooner.

He doesn’t see anything for sure though and there’s always room for doubt. Bruce is a good man. Bruce is his friend. Bruce is nothing but nice to him. Surely, it can’t be that? He has to know for sure. He doesn’t know if it will work, but Tony told him what to do if he ever needed answers – though Steve’s sure he never meant his advice to be used like this. He asks Jarvis.

‘Jarvis, has Bruce ever hurt Tony?’

There’s a long pause. He thinks he’s not going to get an answer. ‘I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to disclose such personal details of their relationship, Captain Rogers.’ Of course not. He’s about to thank Jarvis and think of another way. ‘However, what I _can_ verify is that Master Stark and Doctor Banner have frequent disagreements.’ There’s a short pause then Jarvis picks up like he’s discussing a completely separate matter. ‘Master Stark has had an unusually high rate of non-combat related injuries in the past few months.’

He thanks Jarvis and walks away feeling sick. He doesn’t know how to handle this. He’s a soldier not a psychiatrist. How could he have misjudged Bruce so badly? Steve thought Bruce was a good man, but he’s not. He’s man who will intentionally hurt someone he professes to love. He’s a bully. And Steve won’t stand for bullies on his team. In his home. Hurting _his_ friends. He doesn’t know how to help, but he knows he can’t do nothing. He paces his room for hours, trying to figure out what to do. Trying to calm down before he does anything.

In the end, he decided to do the obvious thing: confront Tony. He takes Tony aside after training. He plans to be frank, to tell him outright that he knows exactly what’s going on and that he wants to help. It’s harder than he thought it would be. He asks if everything’s alright. Tony scowls and holds himself stiff, like he’s being accused of something. ‘Tony, I’m worried,’ he says. ‘If you need to talk...’

He puts his hand on Tony’s shoulder. He means it to be reassuring but he knows immediately that it’s exactly the wrong thing to do. Tony flinches and his frown changes from one of mild annoyance to outright fury. ‘Piss off and mind your own business, Rogers,’ he says with such venom Steve can’t help but be taken aback. He’s trying to help. He had expected some resistance, denial maybe, but not outright anger. It seems absurd to Steve that Tony should be mad at him for trying to help, not at Bruce for doing this to him.

Tony swats his arm away and Steve’s eyes lock on the deep bruise around his wrist. His stomach clenches. He just wants to grab Tony, to shake him and shout at him, to ask him why. Why is he letting Bruce do this? Why won’t he accept help? He knows he can’t do that though. He lets Tony walk away.

He waits then, knowing what he has to do next, but knowing he needs to wait for the right moment. It takes two days. Tony’s out. Bruce is alone in his lab.

He gets in Bruce’s face because he’s far too angry to care about the Hulk. Let him fight. He really needs to punch something. But this is Tony’s lab really, and he knows Tony will never forgive him if it gets destroyed because he couldn’t control himself. So he won’t start something. He just won’t stop Bruce from starting something. ‘This has to stop.’ Bruce’s face falls. He looks ashamed, then angry. Steve is sure he never expected to get pulled up on this.

He can see Bruce trying to regain his composure. It’s too late, Steve knows Bruce knows what he’s talking about. Still, Bruce tries to deny it.

Steve’s fists clench. He breathes steadily through his nose and doesn’t dare move. ‘I know you hurt Tony.’ Bruce laughs. Steve has to walk away before he punches him in the face. 

He goes to the gym and breaks three of Tony’s virtually indestructible punching bags before he exhausts himself. After, he sits in the common room and watches the TV without watching it.

He sees Bruce leave the tower. He waits on edge for days, for weeks, but Bruce doesn’t come back. In that time, he realises that Tony respects him. Tony gives him new tech without dumbing down the instructions, he trusts his opinion on battle plans. Unlike so many others, Tony doesn’t treat him like an idiot. At least no more than he treats everyone else like they are. 

That’s why, he thinks, it must’ve been a cry for help. Tony doesn’t think he’s stupid, but he didn’t try to hide it from him. Maybe all he needed after all was to know someone had his back.

And now, Bruce is gone. Tony smiles more. He dates other people. He jokes with the team. He is Iron Man. And everything is fine.


End file.
